Craig Briefs: Dinosaur ambulance service issue resolved

After months of uncertainty, Moffat County solidified a plan Tuesday to provide ambulance services to Dinosaur and the surrounding area.

The county commissioners signed a mutual aid agreement with Gold Cross to ensure the private ambulance service would be able to cover the western Moffat County area that has been covered by Rangely District Hospital. Gold Cross is a private ambulance service based in Salt Lake City with emergency medical services running out of Vernal, Utah, which can reach Dinosaur in about 30 minutes.

This summer, Rangely Hospital sent a letter to the Dinosaur Town Council and other affected areas, stating that the hospital no longer would be able to afford sending ambulances to western Moffat County and planned to stop service Sept. 1.

Tom Soos, Moffat County emergency management coordinator, said he was satisfied with the solution.

“Looks like Sept. 1, it will be Gold Cross. Hopefully it will work,” he said.

Smithsonian exhibit on display at Hayden center

The Hayden Heritage Center was chosen by Colorado Humanities to be one of only six museums across Colorado to host the Smithsonian exhibit: Journey Stories for 2013. The exhibit is on display through Saturday. Admission to the museum and exhibit are free.

The museum also will be hosting a number of events correlating with the exhibit including a tour of the Yampa Valley Regional Airport on Saturday. Call for reservations.

Emergency loans are available for producers

In late 2012, Moffat County was among five counties designated as contiguous counties to primary counties declared eligible for a disaster designation due to losses caused by drought, according to a Farm Service Agency press release. Other counties were Garfield, Mesa, Montrose and Rio Blanco. The disaster incident period began Sept. 1, 2012, and is continuing.

Area producers could be eligible for Farm Service Agency emergency loans, which are available to operators of family-size farms and/or ranches that are unable to obtain credit elsewhere. Loans are based on production losses caused by the disaster.

Producers must file an application for an emergency loan through the Farm Service Agency by Sept. 9. Each application will be considered on its own merit, taking into account the extent of losses, security available, repayment ability and other eligibility requirements, the press release stated.

For more information, call Laurie Neilson at 970-242-9133, ext. 2.

Immunization clinic is offered at middle school

Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association will hold a drop-in immunization clinic from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Craig Middle School for Back-to-School Night. Tdap and Menactra vaccines will be offered for students entering sixth grade and for any other children needing these vaccines. Low cost vaccines will be available for uninsured and underinsured children. The Association will accept private insurance, CHP+, Medicare, Medicaid, cash or check. For more information, call 970-824-8233. For general information on immunizations, visit www.immunizeforgood.com.

Craig Lions Club is seeking new members

The Craig Lions Club is looking for new members — people who are interested in helping provide eye care, examinations, glasses and education for area children and adults. Dues for belonging to Lions International are $100 per year, and the Craig Lions Club has two meetings per month at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at the Colorado Northwestern Community College Bell Tower building.

Lions provide service to the community, including seven eye screenings for preschool and kindergarten children during the school year. The local Lions Club is Craig’s oldest service organization, chartered in 1922.

For a membership application, call Al Shepherd at 970-824-3095 or Jane Hume at 970-640-5194.

Labor Day travel shows 1st increase of summer

AAA Colorado projects 573,000 Coloradans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the upcoming Labor Day holiday, a 3.6-percent increase from the 553,000 people who were projected to travel last year. According to a press release issued by AAA Colorado, the Labor Day holiday projections are the only year-over-year increase in travel this summer.

The anticipated increase in holiday travel is predominantly because of increased consumer spending and the improving housing market. The Labor Day holiday travel period is Aug. 29 to Sept. 2.

Approximately 481,000, or 84 percent of travelers, plan to drive to their destination, an increase of 5.7 percent from the 455,000 who drove last year.

Gas prices are unlikely to be a major factor for people in determining whether they will travel this Labor Day. As of mid-August, prices were on average less than 1 percent higher per gallon compared to the same time last year. The current Colorado average price for a gallon of regular gas is $3.54, two cents higher than mid-August 2012.

According to the survey of intending travelers conducted by AAA, the average distance traveled by Coloradans during the Labor Day holiday weekend is expected to be 1,060 miles round-trip, which is 155 miles more than last year’s average of 905 miles.

Median spending during the Labor Day holiday weekend is expected to grow to $670, compared to $596 last year. Travelers expect to spend 56 percent of their budget on transportation and lodging and 16 percent on food and beverages.

During the holiday weekend, the most popular activities will be visiting with friends/family at 52 percent of expected travelers, hiking or biking at 40 percent and touring and sight-seeing at 33 percent.

Humane Society lowers adult pet adoption cost

The Humane Society of Moffat County has lowered its animal adoption cost to $75, which includes spay or neuter, vaccinations and a feline leukemia test. The cost to adopt kittens and puppies remains $115.